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In Case You Missed It:

How old are your arteries?

Published: January, 2010

You're as old as your arteries, which doesn't always equal
the number of candles on your birthday cake.

Your arteries age more slowly and more gracefully than the rest
of you when nurtured with daily exercise, a healthful diet, and
good relationships with family and friends. They age faster when
they're constantly assaulted by cigarette smoke, foods laden with
saturated and trans fats, chronic stress, and other traumas.
Knowing your vascular age can give you a clearer picture of your
heart's health.

Two currently available tools estimate artery "age" using pulse
wave velocity and carotid intima-media thickness. Measurement of
these physical variables in thousands of people has allowed
researchers to identify ranges for each that correspond to
different chronological ages. A third tool that can be used at
home relies on generally available information on age,
cholesterol, and blood pressure.

Pulse wave velocity. Each heartbeat
sends a wave of blood through the body's network of arteries. The
stiffer the arteries, the faster this wave travels. Measuring the
speed of the pulse wave provides information about how stiff or
how flexible the arteries are. The speed of the wave can be
converted into vascular age. Several companies make devices that
measure pulse wave velocity in a doctor's office or at home using
a small sensor that clips onto a finger.

Carotid intima-media thickness. The
innermost layer of an artery's wall is called the intima; it
provides a smooth surface for blood to flow through. The media is
the middle layer; its muscle and elastic fibers let the vessel
expand and contract with each heartbeat. The thicker the intima
and the media, the more likely the artery is choked with
cholesterol-filled atherosclerotic plaque. Using harmless
ultrasound, a doctor can easily measure the intima-media
thickness in the carotid arteries in the neck. This measurement
can be used to estimate vascular age.

Framingham score. The landmark
Framingham Heart Study has been following the health of thousands
of residents of one Massachusetts town since 1948. Data
accumulated in the study have helped researchers create a general
cardiovascular risk profile. With answers to a few questions (see
below), this tool estimates your chances of having a heart attack
or stroke, needing bypass surgery or angioplasty, or developing
peripheral vascular disease or heart failure. It also estimates
your vascular age.

Thomas Sydenham, a 17th century physician who has been called the
English Hippocrates, once said that "a man is as old as his
arteries." To gauge the age of your arteries, you can ask your
doctor to measure your pulse wave velocity or carotid
intima-media thickness. But since most insurance companies don't
pay for these tests, the Framingham estimate is a good place to
start unless you don't mind getting an extra bill for this
information.